Inclusion Models on Long Island (Babylon, Levittown: 2009, how much, school districts)

[Kristin8821]

Hello,

I am wondering how many school districts contain a FULL inclusion model, which means a special ed teacher and a general ed teacher are in the classroom together working ALL day. Numerous districts are now trying to change this program to fit their needs, many times substituting the special education teacher for an aide or assistant. Of course the kids ultimately suffer when this model is tampered with. Please let me know about your district if you live on Long Island.

[amyla]

I saw it work in Half Hollow Hills. Although I was only there for a few days-observing for a post masters certification-it seemed to flow very well. My daughter, also in HHH, is an excellent student and was in a blended class last year.

[budsvtec]

Levittown has this. Salk/Macarthur schools

[cathicool]

Babylon Village has this also--

[dman72]

I think most districts on LI have it to some extent. I'm not sure if it's cost effective to have 2 teachers for the same number of students as 1..I'd have to see clear evidence that the kids benefit.

[2girlsmi]

They have inclusion in the Lindenhurst School District. I am a legal secretary by trade, and am employed as an inclusion aide at one of the elementary schools. I have no teaching experience at all. The closest I get to teaching is being a mom. Its unfortunate that the parents are mislead to think that the inclusion program in Lindenhurst is great. The inclusion students are just pushed along and are never held back. I've seen so many children enter fifth grade and they can't even read beyond a first or second grade level, or do simple addition and subtraction, but yet they are expected to keep up with the class. Teachers can tell parents anything they want to hear and they candy coat everything. The students that are not part of the inclusion program also suffer because of the different teaching methods of various teachers "pushing" into the classroom. I found that nothing was offered to the average or the above average students, but everything was offered to the inclusion students (probably for fear of loosing state funding).
I think teacher's aides are a waste of the school district's money. I would have no problem leaving my position as a teachers aide and having the money they would pay me be used to obtain equipment and programs to better educate my children, as well as the inclusion children. Or, if you are going to have an inclusion program, then set it up correctly and hire certified teachers to teach these children and prepare them for their future -- the correct way.

[Elke Mariotti]

Originally Posted by 2girlsmi

They have inclusion in the Lindenhurst School District. I am a legal secretary by trade, and am employed as an inclusion aide at one of the elementary schools. I have no teaching experience at all. The closest I get to teaching is being a mom. Its unfortunate that the parents are mislead to think that the inclusion program in Lindenhurst is great. The inclusion students are just pushed along and are never held back. I've seen so many children enter fifth grade and they can't even read beyond a first or second grade level, or do simple addition and subtraction, but yet they are expected to keep up with the class. Teachers can tell parents anything they want to hear and they candy coat everything.

About a year and a half ago, they (Lindenhurst SD) invited RE agents to attend an informational seminar to educate us about the schools and services. Ever curious, I accepted. They talked about their great Special Ed programs; as the Grandparent of an autistic child, I asked questions... and got NO satisfactory answer. They were beating around the bush, including "we'll have to get back to you with details" - which of course they never did.
Bottom line: lip service at best! What a disappointment!
Glad my grandson is not in that school district!

[dman72]

Sounds like the district are catering to the specific areas of statistics that they must satisfied to not get a negative label from the state. My wife was explaining to me how minorities are "weighted" more heavily in the rankings..the whole thing sounds stupid.

[Cfaz13]

At the elementary school level there is inclusion (known as collaborative) with a special ed teacher and a regular ed teacher and up to 8 special ed students included with the other students. In Plainview 5th and 6th grade is at the middle school but the collaborative (inclusion) model continues there. The self contained class is generally smaller and combines grades sometimes. The special ed kids in the inclusion classes are expected to keep up with the rest of the class. Whether that is actually the case is another question.

[AndreaII]

In Newsweek, March 9, 2009, is a My Turn article written by a mom (Stephanie Lindsley) about the education of her autistic son and her gifted daughter. This may be of interest to some parents (and taxpayers). The following has been extracted from the article:

"My son and my daughter are happy, active, healthy children who enjoy school and are lucky to have a solid family life. But they are very different. My autistic son tests in the "severe" range in many subjects. At 8, he reads well but cannot answer basic questions about what he has read. He speaks at a 3-year-old level, adores "Blue's Clues" and is almost potty-trained.

My daughter, meanwhile, tests in the 95th percentile nationwide on standardized tests. At 12, she shows an amazing ability to process information, taking complex ideas apart and putting them back together to form new thoughts. She reads an entire novel most Sunday afternoons, solves the Sudoku puzzles in the paper and memorizes the entire script - not just her own lines - for the school plays she loves to be in."

She goes on to say that the school system/govt. is spending a fortune attempting to educate her son using intervention specialists, aides, etc. "He gets every opportunity to excel. His teachers spend countless hours each year filling out detailed quarterly reports and other govt.-required paperwork."

Her daughter is in a regular classroom and is taken out 3 hours a week for "enrichment." Stephanie writes "She complains to me when the teacher reteaches things she learned last year, and she resents being drilled over and over on something she learned in 10 minutes. I can only imagine how much my daughter would excel if she had a program specifically geared to her stengths, one that challenged her creativity on a daily basis. Or if she received even half the individual attention my son receives every week."

"There is no govt. mandate to fund gifted education. Compare that with $24.5 billion allotted by No Child Left Behind, a federal program whose goal is to help every child, including the mentally disabled, meet minimum standards. But is that a wise investment? Wouldn't some of those billions be more wisely spent on special teachers and mandated programs for gifted children, who have the potential to make advances in science, technology and the arts that would benefit everyone?"

"It pains me to suggest taking some of the federal money designated for my disabled son and spending it on my overperforming daughter. My son will probably meet minimum standards, but most parents of autistic children describe goals for their kids in much more modest terms: being able to bathe themselves, get a job, or live semi-independently. My daughter has the potential for much more. If she were given even a fraction of the customized education that my son receives, she could learn the skills needed to prevent the next worldwide flu pandemic, or invent a new form of non-polluting transportation. Perhaps she could even discover a cure for autism."

Any comments out there?